Now, guides to help you tour Capitol Complex

Visitors, both national and international, to the Capitol Complex, Sector 1, will now get a chance to see and know the finer details of the architectural marvels of Chandigarh’s planner Le Corbusier as the UT administration has hired guides to give walking-tours free of cost to tourists.

Visitors, both national and international, to the Capitol Complex, Sector 1, will now get a chance to see and know the finer details of the architectural marvels of Chandigarh’s planner Le Corbusier as the UT administration has hired guides to give walking-tours free of cost to tourists.

Located in the most prominent area of the city, Capitol Complex has three main buildings namely Secretariat, Legislative Assembly and Punjab and Haryana high court, besides the eye-catching openhand monument and martyrs memorial raised in remembrance of the martyrs of India’s freedom struggle.

Department of tourism has hired a total of seven guides for the purpose, who were imparted training at Chandigarh College of Architecture (CCA).

During the training, CCA principal Pradeep Kumar Bhagat said guides were made aware about the complex and works of Le Corbusier.

As per the proposed route, tourists will be taken to the high court first, followed by the open hand, martyr’s memorial, tower of shadows, vidhan sabha, geometric hill and secretariat building.

For the benefit of tourists, the administration has also set up a tourism infor mation centre at the complex, which will be inaugurated on May 30 by UT adviser KK Sharma.

The centre, which is designed by architect MN Sharma, aims to function as a provider of information as well as to issue permits to tourists.

Tourists visiting Capitol Complex have to take per mission, which is issued from the UT secretariat.

UT home secretary-cum-secretary tourism Anil Kumar said, “Trained guides will be there for tourists.

For convenience of visitors, the tourism department will also deploy staff at the centre for issuing passes.”

The administration has also written to the Punjab and Haryana government for relaxations in security at the Capitol Complex.

At present, most of the area there is under heavy security, making it unfriendly for tourists.

Earlier, while applying for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) heritage status, the administration had listed Capitol Complex as one of the most prominent areas of the city. The complex has been put under Grade 1 of heritage status by the administration.

Since 2006, the administration has been making efforts for the UNESCO heritage status. In 2006-07, the city even featured on a tentative list prepared by UNESCO.